Opinion Those News Storys
I Hate (these) news storys. News TVs cheerful abandonment of editorial sovereignty to Bollywood marketing is,frankly,troublesome.
I Hate (these) news storys. News TVs cheerful abandonment of editorial sovereignty to Bollywood marketing is,frankly,troublesome. I Hate Luv Storys is hitting the screens so NDTV,which as it says has been 21 years in the news business,gives 20 minutes to the films lead actors,who front the channels Night Out show,with not one NDTV journalist in sight,and its all so luvly. Except it isnt. That Night Out is an entertainment show is no excuse. Its part of NDTV,which,lets remind ourselves,is a news channel. To that extent NDTVs decision is as questionable as CNN-IBNs was when it let Amitabh Bachchan read the news; a film on TV journalism with Bachchan in the lead role was about to release then.
So,if a big Bollywood guy makes a film on news,news TV will promote it on a news show and if the film is on luv,the free commercial will run on the entertainment show. And if Bollywood makes a big-banner film on stock markets (actually someone should,there are great stories there),will business news channels invite the director/lead actors to give market analysis? True,a Bollywood hero saying the mid caps look a bit shaky in the morning trading session may make a nice change from business news TV anchors saying it. But the plot of these marketing storys wont change. You can hardly blame the film guys. They have to sell high-cost products in an inherently risky market. News TV,especially broadcasters like NDTV and CNN-IBN,should wonder whether editorial sovereignty is as malleable as a Bollywood B-grade movie script.
I wonder about (these) news storys. CNN-IBN,on 9 oclock news,announced it will look into the possibility of resolving the Jaya-Leila-George conundrum. Wow. We will try and get a reconciliation,CNN-IBN confidently said. I waited. At the end of it all,Leila and Jaya tearfully agreed that everyone should look after George,never mind who owns which table. No! I have to tell you,they didnt.
However,full marks to CNN-IBN for trying. Why dont you all come together and make him better,CNN-IBN said several times,and earnestly. At the end of the day,CNN-IBNs anchor said at the end of the show,all I am asking,the reason all of you are together wheres the humanity here? Absolutely! Wheres the humanity? What kind of human beings are we if we refuse to resolve a family dispute on news TV? What kind of human beings refuse to understand that sorting out a family fight in the courts or at home is boring do it in a news TV studio,cameras running,anchors presiding and background music ready to play the moment you hug your fellow disputant.
In America,this kind of stuff happens on TV,too,on the Jerry Springer show,say,or Oprahs show. But not,say,on CNN. But,hey,this is India. We dont need non-news shows for this. News TV will play Oprah. News TV will market movies. And,bonus! News TV will also give you news.
I luv (these) news storys. Manish Tewari on Times Now,the issue at hand is Kashmir violence,telling the anchor lets not take a Rambo-like approach. Anchor asks,are you calling the CRPF Rambo? No,Tewari says,I am calling you Rambo. What fun! Anchor says,sometime later and loudly,your calling me names wont take the fact away,lets listen to this calmly. Tewari says,loudly,now listen to it calmly,I have not called you any names.
I calmly switched channels,hoping I will find,somewhere,a news story that looks and sounds like a news story.
saubhik.chakrabarti@expressindia.com
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